Rooftop mountain

A doctor who spent six years and $130,000 transforming his penthouse apartment into a mountain retreat has been told to tear it down by officials who said the work was done without permission.

Zhang Biqing, who founded a chain of Chinese medicine clinics, bought the 26th-floor dwelling and then moved rocks, wooden panels and shrubbery to the roof using a service elevator.

The bizarre residence sits atop one of several high-rises in a very affluent corner of the city’s Haidian district.

Neighbors fear the two-story structure has damaged the building’s internal pipework and foundations, and say they have long complained about noise and disruption from construction.

“I’m really worried about the safety,” said one woman who lives in the building but did not want to give her name. “It’s so heavy and might damage the foundations of the building. We complained to the building management, city management, and people’s congress, but no one responded.”

The district government on Monday issued a compulsory demolition order after officials said Zhang did not secure prior approval.